DVD Triage: Week of June 21

Another kind of lackluster week, though there are a few solid releases in here. The Instant Watch selection is particularly slim, but there’s a good chunk of films slated for the first of the month, as usual, so look for that next week to offset all the expirations that I’ve already started listing in this week’s post. There are a bunch of Warner Archive releases hitting DVD-R this week, enough that I separated them out. If you’re not familiar with Warner Archive, they’re releases of older films from the Warner Bros. vault that are burned on-demand when you order them – these are films that don’t have enough demand to put out full DVDs, but Warner makes them available this way for collectors and movie buffs. I wish they’d just throw them on Netflix Instant and be done with it, but until they go for a streaming option of some sort, this is the best/only way to get them.

New Release Picks of the Week

The Adjustment Bureau
This film came out to mixed reviews, but I quite liked its mixture of romance and science fiction, especially thanks to the chemistry between Damon and Blunt. Not as cerebral as one might’ve wanted, but a solid little thiller.
2011 USA. Director: George Nolfi. Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt.
Amazon DVD | Amazon Blu-ray | Netflix

Happythankyoumoreplease
I skipped this one due to what looked like excessive quirky indie-ness (I mean, just look at that poster), but I do love Josh Radnor on How I Met Your Mother, and I’m still kinda curious about his directorial debut.
2010 USA. Director: Josh Radnor. Starring: Josh Radnor, Malin Akerman, Kate Mara, Zoe Kazan.
Amazon DVD | Amazon Blu-ray | Netflix

OTHER NEW RELEASES
Cedar Rapids (2011 USA, dir Miguel Arteta, stars Ed Helms, John C. Reilly; Blu-ray/Netflix)
The Eagle (2010 USA, dir Kevin Macdonald, stars Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell; Blu-ray/Netflix)
Ceremony (2011 USA, dir Max Winkler, stars Uma Thurman, Michael Angarano; Blu-ray/Netflix)
Unknown (2011 USA, dir Jaume Collet-Serra, stars Liam Neeson, January Jones; Blu-ray/Netflix)
Elektra Luxx (2010 USA, dir Sebastian Gutierrez, stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Carla Gugino; Netflix)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2011 USA, dir David Bowers, stars Zachary Gordon; Blu-ray/Netflix)
Harvest (2010 USA, dir Marc Meyers, stars Robert Loggia, Barbara Barrie; Netflix)
Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders (2008 USA, dir Mark Hopkins; Netflix)
Orgasm, Inc. (2009 USA, dir Liz Canner, stars Ray Moynihan, Leonore Tiefer; Netflix)

Classic Pick of the Week

Kiss Me Deadly Criterion
One of the all-time iconic noir films gets a much-deserved Criterion release, and with a great pulp-fiction cover to boot. I’m plunking down money for this as soon as I have money to plunk down.
1955 USA. Director: Robert Aldrich. Starring: Ralph Meeker, Cloris Leachman, Gaby Rodgers.
Amazon DVD | Amazon Blu-ray | Netflix (not Criterion)

WARNER ARCHIVE TITLES
Advance to the Rear (1964 USA, dir George Marshall, stars Glenn Ford, Melvyn Douglas)
Don’t Go Near the Water (1957 USA, dir Charles Walters, stars Glenn Ford, Gia Scala)
Flight Command (1941 USA, dir Frank Borzage, stars Robert Taylor, Ruth Hussey, Walter Pidgeon)
Honeymoon Machine (1961 USA, dir Richard Thorpe, stars Steve McQueen, Brigid Bazlen, Jim Hutton)
The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962 USA, dir Richard Thrope, stars Jim Hutton, Paula Prentiss)
See Here Private Hargrove (1944 USA, dir Wesley Ruggles, stars Robert Walker, Donna Reed)
Toward the Unknown (1956 USA, dir Mervyn LeRoy, stars William Holden, Lloyd Nolan)

OTHER CLASSIC/OLDER TITLES
Eclipse Series 27: Raffaello Matarazzo’s Runaway Melodramas (1949-55 Italy, dir Raffaello Matarazzo, stars Amedeo Nazzari, Yvonne Sanson)
Poison: 20th Anniversary Edition (1991 USA, dir Todd Haynes, stars James Lyons, Scott Renderer; Netflix)
Priest of Love (1981 UK, dir Christopher Miles, stars Ian McKellen, Ava Gardner; Blu-ray/Netflix)
The Romantic Englishwoman (1975 UK, dir Joseph Losey, stars Michael Caine, Glenda Jackson; Blu-ray/Netflix)
Seven Keys to Baldpate (1917 USA, dir Hugh Ford, stars George M. Cohan, Anna Q. Nilsson)

Television Pick of the Week

Louie: Season One
I haven’t seen this series, but what I have seen of Louis C.K.’s standup is outstanding, and I’ve heard similarly excellent things about the show. Definitely looking forward to giving it a look. Also on Instant Watch.
2010 USA. Creator: Louis C.K. Starring: Louis C.K.
Amazon DVD/Blu-ray Combo | Netflix

OTHER TELEVISION
Medium: Season 7 (2010 USA, creator Glenn Gordon Caron, stars Patricia Arquette; Netflix)
The Closer: Season 6 (2010 USA, creator James Duff, stars Kyra Sedgwick, J.K. Simmons; Netflix)
Rocko’s Modern Life: Season 1 (1993 USA, creator Joe Murray, stars Carlos Alazraqui; Netflix)
Wired: Complete Series (2008 UK, dir Kenneth Glenaan, stars Riz Ahmed, Charlie Brooks; Netflix)
Marple: The Pale Horse (2010 UK, dir Andy Hay, stars Julia McKenzie, Nicholas Parsons; Netflix)
Bleach Uncut: Box Set 9 (Japan, creator Tite Kubo, stars Johnny Yong Bosch, Stephanie Sheh; Netflix)
Best of Cheaters: Vol. 4 (USA, creator Bobby Goldstein, stars Joel S. Greco)

Instant Watch Picks of the Week

Sports Night
This is easily one of the best sitcoms ever, and no, you don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate it. It’s got great one-liners, bravura monologues, wonderful characters, and honest emotion. And of course it got cancelled way too soon.
1998 USA. Creator: Aaron Sorkin. Starring: Peter Karuse, Josh Charles, Felicity Huffman.

Harry Brown
A bloody revenge flick from the UK, with Michael Caine as a retired Marine who goes after a bunch of gang members after they kill his best friend. I haven’t seen it, but it got high marks around Row Three.
2009 UK. Director: Daniel Barber. Starring: Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer.

Iron Man 2 [6/25]
Though I enjoyed the first Iron Man film a lot, I skipped the second after it met with some mediocre-to-awful reviews. I might check it out on Instant, though, just to be up to speed for The Avengers. (I know, I’m playing right into Marvel’s greedy little hands…sigh.)
2010 USA. Director: Jon Favreau. Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke.

Ip Man 2 [6/25]
I haven’t seen the first Ip Man, about the legendary martial artist who trained Bruce Lee, among others, but these films are among the highest grossing films in China, and I defnitely want to see them before too long.
2010 Hong Kong. Director: Wilson Yip. Stars Donnie Yen, Lynn Hung.

OTHER INSTANT WATCHES
Beowulf (1999 USA, dir Graham Baker, stars Christopher Lambert, Patricia Velasquez)
Nanny 911 (2004-2006 USA, stars Deborah Carroll, Yvonne Shove)
Poison (1991 USA, dir Todd Haynes, stars James Lyons, Scott Renderer)
Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares (2006-2008 UK, creator Gordon Ramsay, stars Gordon Ramsay)
Revenge of the Musketeers (1994 France, dir Bertrand Tavernier, stars Sophie Marceau, Philippe Noiret)
Ridicule (1996 France, dir Patrice Leconte, stars Fanny Ardant, Judith Godreche)
Spy Hard (1996 USA, dir Rick Friedberg, stars Leslie Nielsen, Nicollette Sheridan, Marcia Gay Harden)
Twilight Zone: Season 3 (1961 USA, creator Rod Serling)
Wild Things (1998 USA, dir John McNaughton, stars Matt Dillon, Denise Richards) [6/24]

See all new and upcoming titles.

Instant Watch Expiring Picks

Bluebeard (2009 France, dir Catherine Breillat, stars Dominique Thomas, Lola Créton) [6/22]
Kelly’s Heroes (1970 USA, dir Brian Hutton, stars Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland) [6/22]
Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (2005 USA, dir Albert Brooks, stars Penny Marshall) [6/22]
Love in the Afternoon (1957 USA, dir Billy WIlder, stars Audrey Hepburn, Gary Cooper) [6/22]
MST3K: Final Justice (1985 USA, dir Greydon Clark, stars Joe Don Baker) [6/22]
MST3K: Mad Monster (1942 USA, dir Sam Newfield, stars Johnny Downs, George Zucco) [6/22]
MST3K: Manhunt in Space (1956 USA, dir Hollingsworth Morse, stars Richard Crane) [6/22]
MST3K: Night of the Blood Beast (1958 USA, dir Bernard L. Kowalski, stars John Baer) [6/22]
MST3K: Santa Claus (1959 Mexico, dir René Cardona, stars José Elías Moreno) [6/22]
MST3K: Soultaker (1990 USA, dir Michael Rissi, stars Joe Estevez, Vivian Schilling) [6/22]
MST3K: The Corpse Vanishes (1942 USA, dir Wallace Fox, stars Bela Lugosi) [6/22]
MST3K: Warrior of the Lost World (1983 USA, dir David Worth, stars Robert Ginty) [6/22]
A Perfect World (1993 USA, dir Clint Eastwood, stars Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood) [6/22]
Ransom (1996 USA, dir Ron Howard, stars Mel Gibson, Rene Russo) [6/22]
Sleepers (1996 USA, dir Barry Levinson, stars Kevin Bacon, Dustin Hoffman) [6/22]
White Oleander (2002 USA, dir Peter Kosminsky, stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Alison Lohman) [6/22]
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2002 Japan, dir Shinichiro Watanabe, stars David Lucas) [6/22]
The Damned United (2008 UK, dir Tom Hooper, stars Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall) [6/24]
The Air I Breathe (2008 USA, dir Jieho Lee, stars Kevin Bacon, Forest Whitaker) [6/26]
The Big Chill (1983 USA, dir Lawrence Kasdan, stars Tom Berenger, Glenn Close) [6/26]
Imitation of Life (1934 USA, dir John M. Stahl, stars Claudette Colbert, Louise Beavers) [6/26]
A Kiss Before Dying (1991 USA, dir James Dearden, stars Matt Dillon, Sean Young) [6/26]
The Land Before Time (1988 USA, dir Don Bluth, stars Judith Barsi, Burke Byrnes) [6/26]
Misty (1961 USA, dir James B. Clark, stars Paul Ladd, Arthur O’Connell) [6/26]
Sounder (1972 USA, dir Martin Ritt, stars Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield) [6/29]
When You’re Strange (2009 USA, dir Tom DiCillo, stars The Doors) [6/29]
Hombre (1967 USA, dir Martin Ritt, stars Paul Newman, Barbara Rush) [6/30]
The Leopard (1963 Italy, dir Lucino Visconti, stars Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale) [6/30]
Seventh Heaven (1937 USA, dir Henry King, stars Simone Simon, James Stewart) [6/30]
Swimming Pool (2003 France, dir François Ozon, stars Charlotte Rampling, Ludivine Sagnier) [6/30]
Tell Them Who You Are (2005 USA, dir Mark Wexler, stars Michael Douglas, Jane Fonda, etc.) [6/30]
XXX (2002 USA, dir Marton Csokas, stars Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson) [6/30]
The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965 USA, dir Carol Reed, stars Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison) [7/1]
Airheads (1994 USA, dir Michael Lehmann, stars Brendan Fraser, Adam Sandler) [7/1]
Alaska (1996 USA, dir Fraser Clarke Heston, stars Charlton Heston, Thora Birch) [7/1]
Anastasia (1997 USA, dir Gary Goldman, Don Bluth, stars Meg Ryan, John Cusack) [7/1]
Anatomy (2000 USA, dir Stephan Ruzowitzky, stars Franka Potente) [7/1]
Bad Boys (1983 USA, dir Rick Rosenthal, stars Sean Penn, Ally Sheedy) [7/1]
The Battle of Apache Pass (1952 USA, dir George Sherman, stars Jeff Chandler, John Lund) [7/1]
Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie (2003 USA, dir C.B. Harding, stars Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall) [7/1]
Brannigan (1975 USA, dir Douglas Hickox, stars John Wayne, John Vernon) [7/1]
Breaking Away (1979 USA, dir Peter Yates, stars Dennis Christopher, Paul Dooley) [7/1]
Californication (2007 USA, creator Tom Kapinos, stars David Duchovny, Natascha McElhone) [7/1]
Cheaper by the Dozen (1950 USA, dir Walter Lang, stars Clifton Webb, Myrna Loy) [7/1]
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957 UK, dir Terence Fisher, stars Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee) [7/1]
Days of Thunder (1990 USA, dir Tony Scott, stars Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman) [7/1]
Frances (1982 USA, dir Graeme Clifford, stars Jessica Lange, Sam Shepard) [7/1]
Gigantic (2008 USA, dir Matt Aselton, stars Paul Dano, Zooey Deschanel) [7/1]
Hart’s War (2002 USA, dir Gregory Hoblit, stars Bruce Willis, Colin Farrell) [7/1]
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (2002 France, dir Laetitia Colombani, stars Audrey Tautou) [7/1]
Hellraiser (1987 USA, dir Clive Barker, stars Andrew Robinson) [7/1]
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997 USA, dir Jim Gillespie, stars Jennifer Love Hewitt) [7/1]
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958 USA, dir Mark Robson, stars Ingrid Bergman, Robert Donat) [7/1]
Jack & Bobby (2004 USA, creator Greg Berlanti, stars Logan lerman, Christine Lahti) [7/1]
Johnny Mnemonic (1995 USA, dir Robert Longo, stars Keanu Reeves, Dolph Lundgren) [7/1]
Jude (1996 UK, dir Michael Winterbottom, stars Christohper Eccleston, Kate Winslet) [7/1]
Kalifornia (1993 USA, dir Dominic Sena, stars Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis) [7/1]
Krull (1983 USA, dir Peter Yates, stars Ken Marshall, Liam Neeson) [7/1]
The L Word (2004 USA, creator Ilene Chaiken, Kathy Greenberg, stars Jennifer Beals) [7/1]
The Lawless Breed (1953 USA, dir Raoul Walsh, stars Rock Hudson, Julie Adams) [7/1]
Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man (2005 USA, dir Lian Lunson, stars Leonard Cohen) [7/1]
Little Man Tate (1991 USA, dir Jodie Foster, stars Dianne Wiest, Jodie Foster) [7/1]
Live Flesh (1997 Spain, dir Pedro Almodovar, stars Francesca Neri, Javier Bardem) [7/1]
Lois & Clark (1993 USA, creator Jerry Siegler, Joe Shuster, stars Dean Cain, Teri Hatcher) [7/1]
Mackenna’s Gold (1969 USA, dir J. Lee Thompson, stars Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif) [7/1]
Men of Honor (2000 USA, dir George Tillman Jr., stars Robert De Niro, Cuba Gooding Jr) [7/1]
The Morning After (1986 USA, dir Sidney Lumet, stars Jane Fonda, Jeff Bridges) [7/1]
The Omen (1976 USA, dir Richard Donner, stars Gregory Peck, Lee Remick) [7/1]
Pollock (2000 USA, dir Ed Harris, stars Ed Harris, Marcia Gay Harden) [7/1]
Return to Me (2000 USA, dir Bonnie Hunt, stars David Duchovny, Minnie Driver) [7/1]
Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982 USA, stars Richard Pryor) [7/1]
Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993 USA, dir Mel Brooks, stars Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis) [7/1]
Robotech (1985 Japan, dir Robert V. Barron, stars George C. Cole) [7/1]
Scream 2 (1997 USA, dir Wes Craven, stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox) [7/1]
Session 9 (2001 USA, dir Brad Anderson, stars Peter Mullan, David Caruso) [7/1]
Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991 USA, dir Mark Lester, stars Brandon Lee, Dolph Lundgren) [7/1]
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006 USA, creator Aaron Sorkin, stars Matthew Perry) [7/1]
Teen Wolf (1985 USA, dir Rod Daniel, stars Michael J. Fox, Susan Ursitti) [7/1]
Tender Mercies (1983 USA, dir Robert Duvall, stars Robert Duvall, Ellen Barkin) [7/1]
White Men Can’t Jump (1992 USA, dir Ron Shelton, stars Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes) [7/1]

See all expiring titles.

Disclaimers

• Amazon links use my affiliate account, and will kick a small percentage of your purchase back to me. You pay the same price you would anyway.
• Not all new releases are available on Netflix immediately. Some studio films have a 30-day release window before Netflix can rent them, and some smaller releases are not picked up by Netflix immediately. Add them to your “saved” queue if you’re interested; that tells Netflix there is demand for the disc.
• Not all new Blu-ray releases are available on Netflix – Netflix usually buys both DVD and Blu-ray editions of new releases, but if a DVD has already been released, they don’t always get the Blu-ray when it comes out later.
• Instant Watch releases are not always 100% accurate – often the data from the API is not fully accurate until the actual day of release. I always check on release day to make sure things actually do hit Instant Watch, but for things that come out later than Tuesday when I publish this post, I won’t be able to tell.
• Instant Watch expirations are not always 100% accurate – sometimes they don’t expire after all, sometimes things expire with little advance warning. I always check to make sure the data is accurate to the best of my knowledge when I publish the post, but things could still change, especially since I’m giving expiration warnings up to two weeks in advance.
• I rely on Box Office Mojo and InstantWatcher for the majority of the data for these posts, so thank you to them for the work they do.